


One long week

by Hotsauceshrimp



Category: Justice League
Genre: Gen, Guilt, Illness, Self-Hatred, Self-Loathing, inadequacy, injured, sick
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-05
Updated: 2016-04-05
Packaged: 2018-05-31 08:02:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6462364
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hotsauceshrimp/pseuds/Hotsauceshrimp
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Batman has had a hell of a week, now all he has to do is sit through this Justice League meeting and try not to let how ill he is show. After all, what kind of super hero takes a sick day? Not him. Thats for sure...</p>
            </blockquote>





	One long week

It had been a very long week. Two off planet emergencys, one kidnapping, multiple accounts of theft, a few dozen mugging's, the list goes on, and on. I was looking forward to taking just a few hours for myself, when that damn big red and blue boy scout decided to call for a meeting.

So now, instead of catching up on a few hours of desperately needed sleep, I find myself navigating towards the conference room within the justice league satellite. My steps are far too heavy, echoing down the hallway as i walk, but the energy i need to move with my usual graceful glide simply doesn't exist right now. Moving like a shadow, silent and intent, I'd usually be at the meeting at least ten minutes early. Instead I'm shuffling down the hall, with a annoyed scowl on my face, cringing at every step, not even sure if i'll be on time with the snails pace I'm going at.

Great, I'm late. Diana and Shayera are fawning over a magazine spread out in the middle of the overly large table, their current page is an article about "Top ten movies with strong female lead's". No doubt they'll make an event of watching them later, insisting half the league join them as education as to why women are superior to their male counterparts, I'll have to make sure to be indisposed when that happens. Though with the lack of free time for even the most basic needs such as SLEEP I've had recently, i doubt i'll be hard off for excuses. Wally and Hal are fighting over some donuts at the near end of the table, insults flying while Wally calls dibs on any he can get his hands on and Hal fights him off in vain so as to succure one of the frosted treats for himself. J'onn is silently staring into nothing from his seat. If I didn't know better I'd say he was asleep. Finally, that damn blue baffoon is sitting in his allocated seat at the head of the table, smiling away at anyone and everyone who looks his way, red cape draped across the back of his chair, and coffee mug in hand. His mug has a labrador on it. Cute. 

I pass through the threshold of the door way, and all eyes turn on me curiously. No doubt looking for an explanation as to why I'm late, I don't give any response. I duck my head slightly and drop my self into my seat at the far right side of the table. Releif spreads through me now that I've finally taken the weight of my aching legs.

"Right!" Clark started, "now that we're all here, lets get down to business." Slowly everyone finds their seats. I can feel a few glances coming my way, but ignore them. They can't see me behind the cowl anyway, so they won't see the black bags under my eyes, or the pale colour of my skin.

Big red and blue gets started on one of his lengthy rants about the weekly running of the watchtower, and i find myself lulled into an uncomfortable daze.  
I shouldn't let myself get so run down damn it! Being the only member of the team with no actual superpowers is no excuse. I've trained myself to be better than this, but one week of hard work and a little infected cut on my stomach and I turn into a pathetic slouch that can't even pay attention during routine meetings. 

I can feel the heat radiating of the area of infected flesh on my stomach under my body amour, and the throb of the wound that caused it. I'll have to ask Alfred for help to clean and bandage it when i get back to the cave. Pathetic. Can't even treat a few minor injuries, being in the state im in. Alfreds going to be upset when he sees the cuts and the bruising from broken ribs and dislocated shoulder.

I glance back at clark and see that he's still caught up in his speech, everyone seems to be mostly paying attention as well, good. I keep up my stoic exterior and return to my thoughts.  
Working with meta humans and powered beings means i have to work at their limits, not mine, or else fall behind. They don't need as much sleep as normal humans do, 3-4 hours a night, and can stay up for days if they have to. Being gothams protector by night and playboy billionaire by day means that running on little sleep is normal for me, and I'm not new to pain and injury.  
If I only had fraction of Clarks or Diana's healing rate I wouldn't be in such a state, so useless and fagile. My head throbs and a cold sweat starts soaking through my armour. 

If only I were stronger, faster, smarter, a better person, how many more people could i have saved? That little girl in the alley, raped and beat to death just moments before i could get to her. The taxi driver that was shot in the face in his own cab because I didn't get there in time.  
So many people have died because I wasn't good enough.

A loud noise brings me back to the current situation and i looked up to find the whole table staring at me with a look of concern.  
"Hey, you in there Bats?" The flash said around a mouthful of donut.  
Martian Manhunter interjected before I could form a reply "You seem to be acting rather peculiar today Batman, is something amiss?" He looked concerned, he better not of taken a look inside my mind while I wasn't concentrating.  
I forced my aching body back into its usual straight posture, finding that I'd lost it somewhere in my musings, and give Wally my best 'Bat Glare' as he likes to call it, before turning to J'onn.  
"Nothing important." I turn to Clark, "Continue."

Clark clears his throat and shares a worried look with Wonder Woman before starting off again in his speech.

Got to pay attention! I can't have them thinking I'm a liability, unable to proform my duties to the league. After all, if I can't do that then I'm definitely not needed for my abilities out in the feild. I've not got super strength, or super speed. I can't read minds or fly or shoot lasers out of my eyes. I don't even have an enhanced healing rate, so when my fragile human body does get damaged, as it is now, I'm useless for far longer than the anyone else in this room.

The pain my body is in is enough an example of that. A cold sweat is making my suit sticky and uncomfortable to wear. I'm shivering slightly, and my breathing is laboured. No doubt everyone has already noticed I'm not my usual self, especially those with super sense. Another thing I don't bring to the table.

"Batman!?" I jump and find myself transitioning into a coughing fit. Shit! I wasn't paying attention again, is Clark going to call me out on it? Reprimand me for not taking league business seriously?  
I take a minute to get my breath back and right myself. I look up, preparing to defend myself agaisnt the accusations, when Clark speaks again.  
"Are you alright Bruce?" Clark, J'onn and Diana have stood from their chairs, and Clark starts to make his way round the table towards me. I clear my throat "I'm fine, no reason for concern" i croke out gruffly.  
"Supes asked you a question" Wally says, while leaning back in his chair to get a veiw of me from around green lantern.  
"Please repeat" I say in a decidedly more 'Batman' like voice.  
"No." Hal declares from his seat "You're sick."  
"Why didn't you tell me? I could of caught you up on the meeting another time if I knew you weren't well enough to attend" Clark says soothingly "when you're more up to it."  
I bristly in my seat "I'm pefectly capable of attending the meeting now."  
"Bats, come on" flash starts " you're only--"  
"Human?!" I shout "I'm aware of THAT Flash."  
Flash pales and moves back a bit in his chair " Shit, I didn't mean- um - I didn't--"  
"Bruce! You couldn't think that we think less of you because you have no powers?" Diana says looking hurt.  
"Well, don't you Princess?" I say coldly.  
Clark has a distraught look on his face, while everyone else has a look of sad hurt.  
"If anything," Clark starts, "that makes me respect you even more than if you did have super powers." A noise of confirmation goes round the room. "I doubt any of us would even be here right now if it weren't for the fact we have super powers." Hal says solemnly "I know I wouldn't if I didn't have the ring."  
I look over to him, and see the sincerity in his eyes.

I hesitate slighty before replying "I have nothing to add to this team besides being available when called. If I fail to even have that going for me, then I really aren't needed."

"You're a genius Bruce, you have an mind like no other when it comes to strategy and planning. You know more types of martial arts than I even knew ever existed, and unlike any other superhero I know, you have a type of intimidating presence that can make even the hardest of criminals think twice about acting." Hal declares confidently.  
"Also," Clark puts a hand on my sholder "you are one of the most loyal and dedicated people I have ever met, you care about people, even those that the rest of the world have given up on. You're willing to try and help anyone no matter how much pain and hardship it puts you through, so that they won't have to suffer the same." He leans down and softly tilts my head so we're looking eye to eye. "If that doesn't make you a superhero, then nothing will."

I slump down in my chair, the fever making my thoughts hazy. They're lying I'm no superhero. But despite knowing that, I can't help the warm feeling Clarks words have put in my chest.  
"Come on," Clark urges me, "I'll go down to medical with you."  
Feeling to worn down to argue, I push up from my chair. Clark steady's me as a rush of dizziness causes me to sway when stood, and I let myself lean on him slightly as support. I can feel his smile on me as I let him start leading me away from the table.  
"Get better soon bats!" Flash calls out, Hal looks at me and promises to make me a copy of what transpired during the meeting that I missed.  
"We hope your illness is short lived batman" J'onn says, and Diana and Shayera nod in agreement and give me gentle smiles as boy scout leads me out.

It really has been one long week.


End file.
